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11 Things Back To The Future 2 Got Right About 2015

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No Jaws 19 or internet, but who’s counting?

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Overshoot occurs when humanity’s demand on nature exceeds Earth’s biocapacity. In 2023, Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 2nd.

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A 2025 article about organ donation.

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Number of organ transplants increases in Quebec, waiting list stagnates

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Many indicators have been encouraging for organ donation in Quebec over the past 10 years. Once again, 2024 was a record year in terms of the number of organs transplanted, up three per cent, and the number of people receiving transplants, up nine per cent. However, 856 Quebecers are still waiting for a life-saving organ […]

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A very complete article about the Uruguayan plane crash of 1972.

This was published around the same time that Society of the Snow came out on Netflix.

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All Nando Parrado remembers is a deep black hole and one recurring thought: "I'm dead. I'm dead. This is death. It's so black that this is death." Hours passed, maybe days. Then, a new thought: "I'm thirsty. I'm craving water. If I'm dead, I cannot crave water."

His awareness increased. Why was it cold? Why did his head throb? Then, voices. Parrado opened his eyes.

"I remember the clear, beautiful faces of my friends," he recalls. "And they were saying: 'Nando, are you OK? Nando, are you OK?' I was not OK. 'The plane crashed.'" He looked around. He was inside a mangled fuselage that had rolled on to its side. The damage was catastrophic: exposed pipes and cables, crumpled metal, shattered plastic, detritus everywhere.

He pressed the side of his head, his hair clumped with clotted blood, the edges of splintered bone. His friend Roberto Canessa explained the plane they were travelling on had hit a mountain three days before and Parrado had been unconscious since. Parrado's thoughts turned to his mother, Eugenia, and sister Susy.

"They told me: 'Nando, your mother is dead. Panchito is dead.'" Francisco "Panchito" Abal was his best friend. He'd made Parrado give up the window seat for him during the flight. "Panchito was my brother. He lived two or three days a week in my home, he used my clothes." Susy was gravely injured, lying on the floor by the cockpit.

"I crawled to where my sister was and I embraced her on the floor. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She could only move her eyes. She lost her shoes in the crash and her feet were purple. Those are the images that I have. I stayed with her. I melted snow with my mouth and gave her water because we didn't have anything. We didn't have cups."

Parrado didn't leave her side until the next morning, when he staggered outside. What was left of the plane had stopped on the slope of a glacier. The eastern horizon offered only snow-capped peaks and plunging valleys. In every other direction they were ensnared by mountains. "I saw the magnitude of the place we were in. It's immense. It's huge," he says. "And I said: 'Fuck. This is going to be horrible. How are we going to get out of here? They won't find us here.'"

Parrado was right - no rescue team found them. But, in December 1972, 72 days after Uruguayan air force flight 571 struck a ridge and crashed deep in the Andes, he and 15 other passengers did make it off the mountain alive. It is an astonishing tale of survival. At the time, newspapers christened the story The Miracle of the Andes. Parrado, now 73 and speaking over videocall from his home in Montevideo, Uruguay, didn't see it that way. "I think it was the effort of a group of young people who trusted each other beyond anything that you can imagine. And the result is that we are alive."

Parrado is a pragmatist. More than 50 years on, he recounts the events with a careful matter-of-factness. There was a 26-year period where he didn't speak about his experiences at all, but he was eventually convinced to do so and has since flown all over the world telling his story. He insists he's not a motivational speaker, but I'm not so sure. His immediate warmth, with his rousing, booming voice and lyrical intonation leaves you invigorated as he speaks about his time in the Andes, his love for his father, Seler, and his zest for life.

Parrado doesn't often give interviews, but he wanted to speak in the run-up to the release of Netflix's thriller Society of the Snow, the second major film to tell the survivors' story, after 1993's Alive. Parrado has seen the new film twice and hails it as a "magnificent piece of film-making". (It's a likely nominee for best international feature film at the Academy Awards.) "I told the director: 'After people see this film, they will really understand what we went through," he says. "He has captured the essence of what we went through very, very well. Even my wife, when the movie finished, she grabbed my arm, she said: 'Fuck, man. I didn't know it was so hard. Now I understand.'"

In October 1972, Parrado was 22, just a regular middle-class Uruguayan man waiting to start university. He helped in his father's hardware shop, tore around on his motorcycle, chased girls and played for his school alumni rugby team, Old Christians. "It was an exciting time." He'd known most of the team for more than a decade and had already travelled to Chile with them for a match. When a second trip was announced, he wasn't going to miss it.

Their team captain, Marcelo Perez, had chartered a plane to take them to Santiago, Chile. Parrado's father dropped him off at Montevideo airport, along with his mother and younger sister (his older sister, Graciela, stayed home). Due to bad weather, the flight touched down early in Mendoza in Argentina, where the team stayed overnight. The pilots delayed for much of the next day (and were jeered by some of the rugby team for doing so), but the plane had been leased from the Uruguayan air force and the law forbade it from being on Argentinian soil for more than 24 hours. They boarded at 2pm and took off shortly afterwards. It was the worst time of day to fly over the Andes, with the afternoon's warm air rising to create atmospheric instability.

When Parrado thinks about the flight now, he is struck by his naivety. "Today, I would never go near that aeroplane," he says. "A Fairchild FH-227D, very underpowered engines, full of people, completely loaded, flying over the highest mountains in South America, in bad weather. I mean, no way."

The plane took off from Mendoza on Friday 13 October, a fact that wasn't lost on the rugby team, who joked about the date's unlucky symbolism. On board were 45 people - the team, friends, family and crew, as well as a stranger who had paid for a seat so she could get to a wedding. Flying direct over the Andes wasn't possible. The plane's maximum cruising altitude was 6,858 metres (22,500 feet); Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the range, is 6,960 metres. Instread, they would follow a U-shaped route: 100 miles south, then into the Andes and over Planchon Pass, where the ridges are lower, before heading north to Santiago. The flight should have taken 90 minutes.

An hour or so into the flight, the inexperienced co-pilot misjudged his position - most likely due to cloud cover or miscalculating headwinds. He turned the aircraft north too early and headed deeper into the Andes. Unaware of his error, he began the descent to land.

The Fairchild entered thick fog. The steward told the passengers to fasten their seatbelts. Severe turbulence shook the plane. It hit an air pocket and dropped what felt like hundreds of feet. Panchito elbowed Parrado next to him and pointed outside to the mountain, perilously close to the wing tip. Parrado remembers only flashes: the realisation they shouldn't be that close, some shouts, the worried faces of his mother and sister. Then the plane began climbing, climbing, climbing, its engine screaming, its fuselage vibrating violently. "I heard this sound, like an implosion," Parrado says, "like a Formula One car hitting a wall head-on." The sky opened above him. He was thrown forward in his seat. Then: "I died without realising I was dying. I went into a very black piece of, I don't know what ... of the universe?"

Parrado's peers would later fill him in. The pilots had tried to lift the plane over an oncoming mountain, but the belly smashed into the ridge. The wings broke away. The plane's left propeller cut through the fuselage. The tail snapped off at roughly the point where Parrado was sitting. The fuselage tobogganed down the mountain at terrifying speed. When it stopped, the cabin seats were flung forward, ripping through their anchors and folding into one another, crushing several passengers.

Those who could immediately worked through the wreckage to help the injured and the trapped. Perez, the team captain, took charge. Gustavo Zerbino and Canessa, both medical students, did what they could; bandaging fractured bones with strips of clothing and cooling them in the snow. They found the pilot, trapped in the crumpled cockpit. Before he died, he told them they had passed Curicó; they were at the western limits of the Andes. Back in the fuselage, a makeshift wall was constructed from suitcases, seats and plane fragments to shelter from the blistering winds. They covered any holes with snow. Of the 45 on board the flight, 33 survived, and 32 huddled together on the first night.

Parrado was originally presumed dead, which turned out to be a blessing. "They left me in the snow. They didn't give me any water. They didn't hydrate me." Neuroscientists would later tell him that the cold and dehydration stopped his head injury swelling and killing him. Eventually, one of his friends saw enough life in Parrado to warrant pulling him closer into the fuselage and the rest of the group.

From the moment he woke up, there wasn't a single moment Parrado didn't feel close to death. The group were more than 3,350 metres up in the Andes, where temperatures can hit -35C. Blizzards raged constantly and the air was so thin it was possible to be out of breath just standing still. The sun blinded and blistered, reflecting off an endless white. One wrong step could lead to being hip-deep in snow.They had no coats, no blankets, no specialist mountaineering equipment of any kind.

What surprised Parrado most was the unbearable thirst. "You need water permanently. You dehydrate five times faster at that altitude than at sea level. And there's no water, so you have to eat snow." It was so cold it burned their throats and cracked their lips.

The nights were brutal. The makeshift wall never fully protected them from the wind; the cloth coverings they had ripped from the seats offered little comfort from the cold. Their clothes froze. They punched each other's arms to improve circulation. They shivered and their teeth chattered so much it was impossible to talk. They huddled together and sought warmth in one another's breath. "Imagine how small you become that you look for that heat," says Parrado. Sometimes, all he could do was count the seconds until morning. They would wake up with frost in their hair.

Hope dwindled. On the fourth day they saw a plane overhead, but from that height the white fuselage of the wreckage was invisible to the pilot. On the fifth morning, three boys tried to climb the mountain, crafting snowshoes from cushions tied to their feet with seatbelts. The challenge was too great and they returned by the afternoon. Susy died in Parrado's arms on the eighth day. At the time, he felt very little. "I learned that at those moments my brain didn't react to anything that was outside survival. I couldn't cry. I didn't feel sorrow." He buried her the following morning.

Starvation became a real possibility. Some had tried eating leather from torn bits of luggage. They had crashed with the bare minimum: some chocolate, nuts, sweets, crackers, fruit, jars of jam, three bottles of wine and some liquor. Meals would consist of one square of chocolate, or the equivalent. Parrado took three days to eat one chocolate covered peanut. After a week, he knew what had to be done. One night, he turned to his friend Carlitos and told him he was prepared to eat meat from the bodies outside.

"I didn't have any doubts. I had arrived at the conclusion of my thoughts very clearly. No doubt. This is the only way out," he says. "Not knowing when you're going to eat again is the worst fear of a human being. The most primal fear."

When the conversation was opened up to the group, the debate lasted all afternoon. There were a few holdouts, but most agreed with Parrado. A small group left the fuselage with some glass to cut the meat off. Some pledged their bodies to the others if they died. One of the boys, Roy Harley, had managed to get a transistor radio working, and on day 11 they heard a broadcast saying the rescue attempt would be called off. Everyone started eating after that. "Everybody in that situation ... you would have arrived at the same thought. And it's easier than you think."

Parrado wanted to leave as soon as he knew the rescue team wasn't coming, but his injuries were too severe, the weather too savage. Over time they learned the rules of survival: how to look for dangerous crevices, how to melt snow in bottles so that it was warm enough to drink. "We started to acclimatise. You start to learn. I started to learn how to walk in the snow. One month into the ordeal we were mountain men and we knew what to do."

What they didn't know was that the plane sat near the base of a couloir - a steep gorge in the mountain where snow builds up. Just over two weeks after the crash, an avalanche struck. Everyone asleep on the floor of the fuselage was buried. Roy Harley had stood up after hearing the avalanche thundering down the mountain; had he not, they would probably have all died. He uncovered three others as quickly as possible, then they began searching for more, wiping snow away from faces so they could breathe, before moving on to dig for the next body.

"I couldn't move. I was under rubble but I could breathe." Parrado remained like that for 30 minutes. Of the 27 people left in the fuselage that night, eight died. The survivors were now trapped in a fuselage half-filled with snow. It was dark. They couldn't stand. Outside, a blizzard roared. After a few hours, Parrado punched a hole in the aircraft's roof with a cargo pole, drawing in fresh air. They stayed like that for four days, next to the bodies of the dead.

"We didn't know if we had enough air. We didn't know if we had two metres, four metres or 50 metres of snow on top," says Parrado. They heard a second avalanche that night, but it rolled over the already buried plane. "Hell could have been a very comfortable place, I can tell you, if you compare it with those four days under the avalanche." When the blizzard stopped and it was safe to leave, they dug their way out through the cockpit, working in 15-minute shifts. It took hours.

After the avalanche, Parrado knew the only way off the mountain was to walk. The following weeks were spent training, waiting for the weather to improve and making the necessary equipment: a sleeping bag from sewn-together cushions, a sled crafted from a suitcase. When Parrado ran out of holes on his belt, he knew time was up. He says the decision to leave was the most important he has ever made. "I knew that when I gave the first step to leave the fuselage I was not coming back. This is a kamikaze expedition."

On the 61st day, Parrado, Roberto Canessa and their friend Antonio "Tintin" Vizintín left the fuselage. Based on the pilot's dying message to them, they believed they just needed to scale the mountain to the west and then head down to Chile. Parrado had layers (three pairs of jeans, three sweaters, four pairs of socks covered in a shopping bag, rugby boots), an aluminium pole for a walking stick, a backpack with three days of meat rations. Before he left, he told those staying behind they could use his family if they ran out of food.

Experts say you shouldn't climb more than 300 metres a dayin such high mountains; the trio cleared twice that in one morning. Altitude sickness kicked in - Parrado's heart rate soared, he came close to hyperventilation and dehydration. They thought the climb would take them 14 hours; it took three days. On the first night, the temperature dropped so low that their water bottle shattered.

Parrado was the first to reach the summit. They had started the climb at 3,570 metres; the peak sits at 4,600 metres. Any joy he felt reaching the summit evaporated as he looked around. Parrado realised the pilot's mistake. No green valleys of Chile, just ridges and peaks far off into the horizon.

"We thought we were five kilometres away; we were 80." He made his life's next biggest decision: continue west. "I said: 'Come on, Roberto, I cannot do it alone. Let's go. If we go back, what for? I'm going to die looking into your eyes and who dies first?'"

Did he expect to die on the trek? "I mean, if I die, if I crash, if it hurts, if I suffer, nothing matters. You are already dead. So if you are still breathing, that's a bonus. But you cross the invisible gates of death and nothing matters." Before heading down, Parrado christened the mountain after his father, writing "Mt Seler" in lipstick on a bag that he tucked under a rock.They took Tintin's rations for the journey and sent him back to the fuselage (he made it back in one hour, using the sled). Parrado and Roberto began their descent.

Day after day, they struggled downwards. The harsh landscape began to soften. They found a river, which they followed. Signs of human life kept them going: signs of camping, manure, cows. Eventually they found three men on the far side of the river. Against its crashing flow, they communicated with notes tied to a rock. The men threw some bread to them, then rode off to get help from the nearest police station, 10 hours away by mule.

Parrado and Canessa had hiked more than 37 miles in 10 days. Parrado believes they could have lasted one more day. "Roberto was very weak. He gave everything that he had. Everybody gave everything that they had. He was the best associate, the best companion, the best friend I could have had in this expedition," he says.

Many years later, talking to mountaineering experts, he was told that he achieved what they did because of their ignorance: "They told me: 'Had you known what you were going to face, you would never have left the aeroplane. You never knew what you were going to face and that's why you made it.'"

When the helicopters arrived with a rescue squad, Parrado was presented with maps. He traced their path. "They said: 'No, no, no, no, that's Argentina. That's 60 or 80km away from here.'" He insisted his friends were there; the rescuers needed a guide. Parrado looked at Canessa, lying on the floor being tended to by a nurse. He looked at the helicopter being stripped for weight. The adrenaline kicked in. "They put me behind the pilot, headphones on and seatbelt and I said: 'What am I doing?!'"

Eventually, Parrado recognised the valley and the mountains, then the fuselage. As the helicopter circled, the boys emerged.

The helicopter landed. Parrado opened the door and "three of my friends jumped over me like dogs, kissing me and shouting. It was a very surreal and emotional scene. It was their first spark of being alive again." They couldn't all fit in the helicopter, so some stayed one more night accompanied by members of the rescue team.

About half an hour later, the helicopter landed at a hospital in San Fernando, Chile. Medical staff rushed toward Parrado with a gurney. "The distance from the helicopter to the entrance of the hospital was about 50 metres. And I said: 'No. Stop. I crossed the whole Andes on foot. I'm not going on a gurney into this hospital." He finished his journey on foot.

Parrado never came close to giving up. He accepted death. At points he was almost certain of it. But he never stopped going. "The lighthouse was my father," he says in a rare moment of sentimentality. "I knew that he thought we were all dead. Only somebody that can lose their family in one second can understand what he was going through." When Parrado eventually wrote about his experiences in Miracle in the Andes, published in 2006,he did so as a 90th birthday present for his father. "Everything that he taught me at the beginning of my life saved my life," he says.

After the rescue, Parrado was reunited with his father and older sister, Graciela, at the hospital. Parrado still had enough strength to lift his father up, but he had lost 45kg of his original 100kg. The nurses removed his clothes - the first time he'd taken some of them off in 72 days - and he looked himself in the mirror. "I didn't recognise myself." There wasn't a trace of muscle. "I looked at my legs and there were bones - knees and bones."

After his discharge, he moved to a hotel in Santiago, along with most of his surviving teammates. For them, it was a carnival atmosphere. "For me, it was different," says Parrado. "Maybe my ordeal really started when I came back home. My father was sleeping in my bedroom, sometimes on the floor embracing my dog." On the mantelpiece was a photograph of Parrado with his mother and sister Susy. "All my old friends, they returned to their homes, they were embraced by their family, girlfriends, and the ordeal was finished ..."

Their experiences made them celebrities overnight. "For six months afterwards, we were surrounded by journalists everywhere we went." His gauntness made him instantly recognisable. Paparazzi photographed him; strangers would approach him in the street and shake his hand. Some even said they were envious of his experience.

Officials from the Catholic church said the survivors had committed no sin by eating the dead, but the newspapers couldn't resist sensationalising it. There were even rumours that the boys had made up the avalanche. "Ethically, religiously, there are a lot of things you can write about this," he says. "But it never bothered me. Never." He speaks proudly of the fact that the survivors' foundation, Fundación Viven, played a significant role in getting the Uruguayan population signed up to organ donation.

"We donated our bodies," he says. "You could die, and you could help the other ones to live. That was a fantastic thing that we did together. I try to explain to people what happened, and that they would have done the same thing. I don't try to justify anything."

It took Parrado the best part of a year to recover physically. He ate normally, and slowly reintroduced his rugby training; 10 months later he played in the last few games of the season. He's coy about how long it took him to recover mentally. How could he possibly know? But he says he suffered no trauma, never felt guilt and never saw a psychiatrist.

"I mean, we survived something that is not survivable. We're going to teach the psychiatrist things that he doesn't know."

To him, his incredible feat is not the defining part of his life. His life after is what matters. He has a wife, Veronique, two daughters and four grandchildren. He's now on the verge of retiring ("I'm still working but I have the landing gear down on the aeroplane"), bringing to a close a career that has seen him run a successful television production company, grow the family hardware businessand, at one stage, race cars.

Does he ever find his thoughts drifting back to his traumatic time in the Andes?

"I don't think a lot about it," he says. "One thing that I can tell you is that never, in 51 years, have I had a nightmare about the Andes." He does think about it when he's making business decisions. "When I have to take a decision, I say: 'OK, this decision compared to the ones I took up there, this is a joke!' I mean, what could happen if I go wrong? Over there every decision meant that if it was wrongly taken, I would die."

Did the experience change the way he thought about death at all?

"You learn to live with death at a young age," he says. "I've seen my friends dying in front of me. I've seen them approaching death without fear ... they approached it with bravery," he says. "But don't get me wrong. I love life. Every time I breathe, it's like a miracle. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be talking to you."

Every year, on 22 December, Parrado and his "brothers in the mountains" gather to mark the anniversary of their rescue. He describes the date as their common birthday, the year they were reborn. He has never missed it. Last year, they commemorated the 50th anniversary with their partners and children. "We took a photograph of 147 persons who are alive because we came back. So this is a story of life," he says. "And we celebrate the memory of our friends who didn't come back or our family who didn't come back."

Shortly after the boys were rescued, the Uruguayan and Chilean air forces built a grave at the site - a simple steel cross among some rocks. Parrado's mother and sister, plus all the others who died, are buried there. Parrado has visited 12 times ("You must think that I'm strange or crazy!"). It's not an easy trek: two and a half days on horseback followed by a 43-mile hike on dirt roads. Up there, with the safety blanket of satellite phones and guides and food, he's struck by its awesome scale and beauty.

He's not a sentimental person and would never have returned were it not for his father. "He had been back, before he died, 18 times in a row - 18! - to put flowers on the grave of his beloved wife and daughter and my friends." On their first trip, his father brought the teddy Susy slept with every night. "I said: 'Daddy, why are you doing this every year?' He said: 'People go to cemeteries to put flowers on the grave of their dear ones - my cemetery is only very far away.'"

His father died in 2008, aged 92. He left a note instructing Parrado to take his ashes to the crash site. On Parrado's behalf, a family friend did just that, burying him with his wife and daughter in the shadow of Mount Seler.

"Dad had said: 'Pharaohs and gladiators and Roman emperors, they had big monuments as graves. We have the whole range of the Andes mountains."

Parrado returned one last time in 2006, this time with his wife and daughters. They told him: "We want to see the place where we were created, where we were born." At the site, his friend took a picture of Parrado and his family looking out toward the mountain Parrado scaled. It is the only memento he keeps of the Andes. "You can only see our backs, but the four of us are there and that defines my life. When I left that place to climb, I didn't have that family. I have it now."

Society of the Snow is in select cinemas on 22 December and on Netflix from 4 January. Miracle of the Andes is available at parrado.com/books

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My plane crashed in the Andes. Only the unthinkable kept me and the other starving survivors alive

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In 1972, Nando Parrado was travelling with family and friends when his plane went down in the mountains. What followed was months of horror, ingenuity - and incredible sacrifice

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National Hugging Day is an annual event dedicated to hugging in the United States. It was created by Kevin Zaborney, a Christian pastor,[1][2] and occurs annually on January 21.[3][4] The day is often accompanied with the organisation of hugging events with the aim of fundraising for charities.[4]

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China is a great choice for any organization looking to expand its business abroad. The country's rapidly growing economy and large number of opportunities make it so that many different businesses can thrive there.

Before entering the market, businesses should learn the ins and outs of China's social credit system. The social credit system was designed to make sure individuals and businesses in China comply with the country's laws and regulations.

To help businesses learn more about this system, we've put together a guide to China's social credit system and what it means for businesses.
Key Takeaways:

China's social credit system gives individuals, businesses, and government entities a credit score based on their trustworthiness.

A bad credit score comes with penalties like reduced access to credit and fewer business opportunities.

Corporations seeking to fix a bad credit score must submit an application to do so.

China's Social Credit System Explained

The People's Republic of China created the social credit system-which is sometimes referred to as SCS, SoCS, or China's ranking system-to function as a unified record system that measures businesses, individuals, and government entities to evaluate their trustworthiness.

The goal of the Chinese social credit system is to regulate social behavior and ensure that those being documented remain "trustworthy" through actions like paying bills on time, abiding by the law, and reporting financial data accurately.

Social Credit System vs. Corporate Social Credit System

China's social credit system rates individuals, entities, and corporations in China, while its corporate social credit system applies only to businesses.

The social credit system is based on many data points, from financial creditworthiness to social factors such as honesty, hard work, and devotion to family. China has national and regional blacklists that are based on individual violations, and a poor score impacts a person's ability to travel, gain employment, or access credit.

On the other hand, the corporate social credit system rating is based on factors related to companies doing business or hiring employees in China, including but not limited to the following:

Paying taxes on time

Maintaining proper licenses

Fulfilling environmental protection mandates

Meeting requirements applicable to their industry

Behavior of a business's partners

As part of the corporate social credit system, businesses that are not compliant are placed on the "irregularity" list. The irregularity list is the step before being blacklisted, so businesses still have an opportunity to improve their score and reputation.

What Is the Purpose of the Chinese Social Credit System?

China's social credit system aims to make sure the people and businesses living or operating in China are compliant with the rules and regulations that are in place there. By imposing rewards for compliance and penalties for noncompliance, the system aims to stretch beyond suggested codes of conduct and enforce rules with consequences.

Blacklists vs. Redlists in China's Social Credit System

Blacklists are based on various violations-typically either because an individual or business has a particular violation or because of a low social credit score. Businesses do not automatically end up on the list for compliance failures, but they face being blacklisted if they do not address those failures swiftly.

The blacklisting system is complex. State agencies and local authorities manage blacklists, and there are hundreds throughout the country. Once on a blacklist, it's hard to be removed. In fact, it can take up to two to five years to be removed from a blacklist.

Redlists are the opposite of blacklists: people and businesses with high social credit end up on redlists. Redlists are compiled of the country's most outstanding members of society; these individuals and businesses enjoy rewards such as access to capital and fast-tracked approvals.

How Does the Social Credit System Work?

The People's Bank of China and the Chinese government compile data about individuals and businesses through various mediums, including financial and government records and online credit platforms.

Once collected, this data is then analyzed, and each individual, business, and government entity receives a social credit score.

Those with a good social credit score are considered trustworthy and receive perks such as waived rent deposits, tax breaks, work promotions, or cheaper fares for public transportation.

Those with a bad social credit score receive penalties in the form of things like loan denials, restricted travel, or even public shaming.

For citizens, "good" actions could include donating blood or donating to charity, while "bad" actions could be things like driving while intoxicated.

For businesses, "good" actions could include timely payments, donating to charity, or getting good reviews from customers and business partners; bad actions could include missed payments, employee disputes, or noncompliance with local employment laws.

Brief History of China's Social Credit System

The current social credit system was put in place in 2014, but its roots go back to the era of Confucius in 551-479 BCE.

Confucianism ideology emphasizes the individual's contribution to making society function well, placing importance on good character. Another philosophy, Mohism, puts importance on caring for one another, while Legalism emphasizes following laws to uphold social order.

These three schools of thought influenced the Qin dynasty of 221-206 B.C. during which the Chinese state implemented a meritocratic assessment system, though it was rudimentary.

Public record systems to monitor individuals' behaviors eventually emerged in the 20th century with the "hukou" in 1958, which registered households and monitored domestic movement in China.

The current social credit system went through early iterations in the mid-90s when the People's Bank of China started sharing financial credit information with commercial banks.

The credit system was predominately economic until 2004 when President Jian Zemin introduced the social credit system. Regional pilots of the program started in 2009, and the blacklist was established in 2013.

The Chinese government adopted the social credit system in its current form in 2014.

Social Credit System Pros and Cons

The social credit system has been scrutinized worldwide, with critics saying the system resembles a science fiction novel. However, others praise the system as a way to maintain fairness and social order.

Pros of the Social Credit System

Holds citizens and companies accountable

Could increase safety in China

Motivates people and businesses to uphold the law

Cons of the Social Credit System

Some may consider associated video monitoring and surveillance an invasive practice

Algorithm miscalculations or scoring mistakes could see people or businesses unfairly penalized

Are Foreign Individuals Impacted by the Social Credit System?

As far as ranking individuals, China's social credit system is only concerned with Chinese citizens. That means that those visiting the country don't need to worry about their social credit score while they're visiting. Individuals should only pay attention to China's social credit system if they relocate from another country on a visa with the intent to work.

However, for corporations, just doing business in China gets you a social credit score. Businesses that operate in China receive a corporate social credit score based on factors like tax payments, debt payments, employment law compliance, customer reviews, and reviews from business partners.

How Does the Social Credit System Impact Businesses?

Businesses that operate under the social credit system-including permanent establishments -are held to a high standard. Companies that are late on or miss tax or loan payments, have employment disputes, don't meet product quality standards, or don't have proper licensing could expect a poor social credit score.

Businesses are also responsible for who they conduct business with. For example, a company in good standing could still face penalization if it conducts business with another organization that has also faced penalization.

Punishments in China's Social Credit System

Businesses and individuals with a bad social credit score face several potential punishments.

Because of the public nature of the blacklist system, people and organizations with low credit could face restrictions from certain luxuries like travel and lodging. However, the challenges of low social credit also extend to basic needs, like school and employment.

Below are a few examples of penalties entities could face with a low social credit score.

Travel bans. People with low social credit ratings often face restrictions from traveling by plane or train in China. The travel ban also extends to traveling overseas to stop people with bad social credit from leaving the country.

School bans. Those with a low social credit score may face school bans for their children. Schools and universities deny students whose parents have violations on their social credit score such as high debt.

Hotel bans. Similar to the travel ban, certain hotels ban individuals with low social credit scores. Hotel bans hinder people's ability to travel for work or tourism and limit freedom to move throughout the country.

Internet throttling. People with low credit scores may also face slower internet speeds as a penalty. Internet throttling impacts an individual's ability to apply for jobs, communicate with others, and access information online.

Career obstacles. Individuals with low social credit scores may face career challenges in China. Companies consult blacklists before hiring, and some positions in government are restricted to those who meet a social credit threshold.

Public shame. Given the public nature of the social credit system and blacklist, people with poor credit often face public shaming. Regulators have encouraged "naming and shaming" practices, harming individuals' social standing and preventing businesses from growing.

The punishments for low social credit are severe in China. However, on the other end of the spectrum, high social credit is a major boon to individuals and businesses.

Rewards in China's Social Credit System

There are many benefits of a high social credit score. Beyond financial incentives, people and businesses with good credit could save time and resources in several ways.

Good interest rates at banks. Banks often reward individuals and businesses with high social credit by offering better interest rates. With more favorable loan terms, those with good credit have better access to buying homes and starting businesses.

Fewer inspections and audits. The government often favors people and businesses with high social credit. Good credit means fewer inspections and audits and less scrutiny overall.

Simplified administrative procedures. Companies that are classified as "Advanced Certificate Enterprise" are often fast-tracked for customs clearance. People with an "A-rating" may also have their tax returns processed more quickly than people with low credit.

People and businesses strive for high social credit for significant reasons: access to low-interest loans, less scrutiny, and fast-tracked approvals make it far easier to thrive and do business in China.

What To Know if You're Expanding into China

Businesses expanding or hiring employees in China must be prepared to meet the country's compliance regulations before hiring or operating locally. Those who do not may face penalties for any infractions.

Expanding into China means adhering to the laws that govern the social credit system. Businesses that are not compliant could face greater challenges than fines, such as travel bans, inability to obtain credit, and significant reputational damage.

So before you expand, make sure your business is familiar with China's labor and employment laws, tax laws, and other legal requirements. A compliance partner, like an employer of record (EOR) can help you navigate these legal requirements and keep your social credit score high.

Find more information in our complete guide to China's labor laws.

How To Check Your Corporate Social Credit Score

Companies can check their corporate credit scores using the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (NECIPS) or CreditChina.

Using CreditChina to Check Your Score:

CreditChina is a more user-friendly database where you can see your business's basic information and any administrative penalties, tax errors, unpaid wages, or payment defaults you are at fault for.

Step 1: Navigate to the CreditChina homepage.

Step 2: Navigate to the "Credit" tab (the first one).

Step 3: Input your business name or code.

Using the NECIPS to Check Your Score:

The NECIPS provides a more comprehensive overview of your company's score but is less user-friendly than CreditChina.

Step 1: Navigate to the NECIPS homepage.

Step 2: Input your business name or code.

How To Fix Your Social Credit Score

You may need the following documents to fix your corporate social credit score:

GENERAL BREACH OF TRUST

SERIOUS BREACH OF TRUST

Rectified via the credit department Rectified via the source administering department Rectified via the credit department

Credit repair promise

Registration certificates

Documents showing penalty rectification

Credit repair promise

Registration certificates

Decision by the authority who administrated the punishment

Credit repair promise

Registration certificates

Documents showing penalty rectification

Credit repair training certificate

Credit report

Fixing your credit score isn't as easy as rectifying the problem and seeing your score rise-which is why it's best to have a compliance partner on your side. Some more serious infractions like threats to public safety or serious crimes cannot be erased from your record.

However, other penalties can be erased. Once you've rectified the problem through actions like cutting off a supplier that is in bad standing or making up for any lost payments, you can apply to have your credit score fixed. Less serious infractions are easier to fix, while more serious ones require a lengthier process.

Ensure Compliance When Expanding to China

When doing business in China or hiring local talent in the country, you likely won't purposefully face penalization for any wrongdoing-but you might violate regulations without realizing it.

Avoid the headaches and legal penalties by partnering with an employer of record (EOR) like Velocity Global. Velicty Global not only simplifies your expansion and global employment efforts but ensures your business stays in good standing.

Velocity Global is well-versed in international employment and tax laws and helps businesses expand or hire in China-and more than 185 countries-while mitigating risk. We also provide legal counsel, draft compliant employment contracts, and take care of talent onboarding, payroll, benefits administration, and HR support.

Contact us to learn how we can help you quickly and compliantly build your team in China.

Legal Disclaimer: The information available in this guide does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice and is for general informational purposes only. You should contact your attorney to obtain legal advice with respect to any particular legal matter. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained in this guide-and your interpretation of it-is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the information in this guide is hereby expressly disclaimed. The content in this guide is provided "as is," and no representations are made that the content is error-free.

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The Chinese Social Credit System: What to Know as a Business Owner

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The China Social Credit System is a unified record system in China that measures businesses, individuals, and government entities to evaluate their trustworthiness.

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Different noise types and their benefits

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Different noise types and their benefits

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White, Brown, Pink and Green Noise: Benefits of Each

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White, green, brown and pink noise each have unique frequencies and benefits. In this article we’ll explore the sound colors and who they are for.

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Phyllis' Story

In Her Own Words

I went to the Mission for one school year in 1973/1974. I had just turned 6 years old. I lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve. We never had very much money, but somehow my granny managed to buy me a new outfit to go to the Mission school. I remember going to Robinson's store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting - just like I felt to be going to school!

When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn't understand why they wouldn't give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn't matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.

I was 13 years old and in grade 8 when my son Jeremy was born. Because my grandmother and mother both attended residential school for 10 years each, I never knew what a parent was supposed to be like. With the help of my aunt, Agness Jack, I was able to raise my son and have him know me as his mother.

I went to a treatment centre for healing when I was 27 and have been on this healing journey since then. I finally get it, that the feeling of worthlessness and insignificance, ingrained in me from my first day at the mission, affected the way I lived my life for many years. Even now, when I know nothing could be further than the truth, I still sometimes feel that I don't matter. Even with all the work I've done!

I am honored to be able to tell my story so that others may benefit and understand, and maybe other survivors will feel comfortable enough to share their stories.

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An introduction to Phyllis (Jack) Webstad and her story: her journey to residential school survivor and community leader. Get Started Here About Phyllis Webstad Founder, Ambassador, Author Phyllis Webstad is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She comes from mixed Secwepemc and

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Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They're not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking. Below, you will find some of the most popular English tongue twisters. Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master them, you will be a much more confident speaker.

1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

2. Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter's bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

3. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood

4. She sells seashells by the seashore.

5. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

6. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

7. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.

8. Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.

9. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?

10. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

11. I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I'll see you at the gate, so don't be late.

12. You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York.

13. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.

14. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

15. I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.

16. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

17. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.

18. Eddie edited it.

19. Willie's really weary.

20. A big black bear sat on a big black rug.

21. Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.

22. He threw three free throws.

23. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

24. So, this is the sushi chef.

25. Four fine fresh fish for you.

26. Wayne went to wales to watch walruses.

27. Six sticky skeletons. (x3)

28. Which witch is which? (x3)

29. Snap crackle pop. (x3)

30. Flash message. (x3)

31. Red Buick, blue Buick. (x3)

32. Red lorry, yellow lorry. (x3)

33. Thin sticks, thick bricks. (x3)

34. Stupid superstition. (x3)

35. Eleven benevolent elephants. (x3)

36. Two tried and true tridents. (x3)

37. Rolling red wagons. (x3)

38. Black back bat. (x3)

39. She sees cheese. (x3)

40. Truly rural. (x3)

41. Good blood, bad blood. (x3)

42. Pre-shrunk silk shirts. (x3)

43. Ed had edited it. (x3)

44. We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

45. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

46. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

47. I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

48. A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

49. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

50. Of all the vids I've ever viewed, I've never viewed a vid as valued as Alex's engVid vid.

Practice some common tongue twisters with me in these videos:

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50 Tongue Twisters to improve pronunciation in English

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Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They're not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking.

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Complete information about the Fenn treasure you read about in class on pages 69-71.

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The Fenn Treasure is a treasure reportedly worth over a million dollars supposedly hidden by art dealer and author Forrest Fenn in the Rocky Mountains. Many people believe that the treasure is located in Yellowstone. When asked why he created the treasure hunt, Fenn said he "just wanted to give people some hope."

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ALL COMICS HAVE BEEN                          MOVED!                  Click on the image below for the new Comics section. 

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ALL COMICS HAVE BEEN                          MOVED!                  Click on the image below for the new Comics section. 

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Click on the image above to get to the comics section.

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A compilation of award-winning short stories by Ursula Vernon.

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A compilation of award-winning short stories by Ursula Vernon.

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Over the years, I’ve written a fair number of short stories, articles, the occasional speech… Most of them are collected in various anthologies, but some are free to read online from magazines, or right here if you so choose!

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Project Gutenberg is a library of free eBooks.

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Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

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Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to texts, movies & music, as well as 624 billion archived web pages.

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Sask. TikTok star 'Bella Brave' hospitalized after medical emergency, condition 'stable': family

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A Swift Current girl who has captured the hearts of millions online has been admitted to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon after an apparent complication.

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With the game on the line, Cody Fajardo and Tyson Philpot delivered the Montreal Alouettes a most unlikely Grey Cup title.

Fajardo's 19-yard touchdown pass to Philpot with 15 seconds remaining rallied Montreal to a thrilling 28-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday in Hamilton. It earned the Alouettes their first CFL title since 2010 and followed an uncertain off-season that saw the franchise taken over by the league in February, then sold a month later to businessman Pierre Karl Peladeau.

Fajardo's toss capped a stellar seven-play, 83-yard march. It included a clutch 31-yard completion to Cole Spieker on third-and-five before a Tim Hortons Field sellout of 28,808 as Montreal ended its season with eight straight wins.

"When you grow up as a kid, you always want the ball in your hands with the game on the line on the biggest stage," Fajardo said. "I remember taking the field, I was so calm.

"I know once Cole went up and made that play, I said, 'It's all happening for a reason."'

He'll remember this one for the rest his life.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tysonphilpot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tysonphilpot</a> with 13 seconds on the clock to give the <a href="https://twitter.com/MTLAlouettes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MTLAlouettes</a> the lead! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreyCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wb7yZKu2nc">pic.twitter.com/Wb7yZKu2nc</a>
&mdash; @CFL

Winnipeg had a final chance to pull out a comeback win. Zach Collaros completed a pass to punter Jamieson Sheahan, who tried to boot the ball into the end zone but it fell short and was recovered by Montreal.

"He [Fajardo] channelled his inner Ricky Ray," said Montreal defensive lineman Shawn Lemon, who won a Grey Cup with Ray in Toronto in 2017. "Maybe it was the moustache but we did it.

"We're champs."
WATCH | Alouettes back on top of CFL:

'Cool, calm and collected'

Fajardo also earned his first victory in 10 career head-to-head matchups versus Collaros.

Philpot, 23, of Delta, B.C., was the top Canadian with six catches for 63 yards. He said there was a quiet confidence in Montreal's huddle on the game-winning drive.

"Cool, calm and collected," he said. "We knew all game they weren't stopping us, it was us stopping ourselves.

"So we had to do our jobs, take it little by little and march it down the field. That's what we did."

Winnipeg, in the Grey Cup for a fourth straight year, suffered a second consecutive loss after beating Hamilton in 2019 and '21. The Toronto Argonauts edged the Bombers 24-23 last year.

"You look at the entire game and we're a few plays short," said Winnipeg head coach Mike O'Shea. "That's about it.

"And they made some plays. They generated some plays in good, timely positions."

Fajardo finished 21-of-26 passing for 290 yards with three TDs and an interception to claim MVP honours. He won his first Grey Cup as a starter after earning a ring with Toronto in 2017 as a backup.

Heady stuff, considering little was expected this season from Montreal, which lost quarterback Trevor Harris and receiver Eugene Lewis in free agency. But GM Danny Maciocia hired head coach Jason Maas and signed Fajardo when Saskatchewan moved on from both - Maas was the Roughriders' offensive co-ordinator - after dropping their final seven regular-season games to miss the CFL playoffs.

Fajardo seriously contemplated retirement before signing with Montreal. This week, Fajardo called the Alouettes "a band of misfit toys."

Fajardo 'pours heart and soul into everything'

"Danny offered me a two-year deal when most teams were offering me a one-year deal and that's what solidified it for us," he said. "My wife [Laura] said, 'You're not done yet, you're not going to go out the way we did losing seven straight and basically getting booted out of [Saskatchewan].

"I owe everything to her, I owe this night to her."

Maas earned his fourth Grey Cup but first as a head coach. His first two came as a quarterback with Edmonton (2003, '05) before winning in 2012 as Toronto's quarterback coach.

But Maas was happy to see his quarterback come through with a clutch performance.

"It looks good on him because the guy pours his heart and soul into everything he does," Maas said. "He's given everything he's had to this team.

"It's nice to see the offence there at the end score when it really needed to. He's the leader of that."

The loss tarnished a stellar effort by Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira. The CFL's outstanding Canadian ran for 119 yards and a TD, his third 100-yard rushing performance in as many games this year versus Montreal.

Dakota Prukop's four-yard run at 9:32 of the fourth put Winnipeg ahead 24-21. Fajardo had staked Montreal to a 21-17 lead - its first of the game - with a 13-yard TD pass at 3:48 to Austin Mack, who had six catches for 103 yards.

BRADY OLIVEIRA DELIVERS THE FIRST TD OF THE GREY CUP 📨<br><br>110th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreyCup</a>: LIVE NOW ON TSN, RDS <br>📲 STREAM ON CFL+ <a href="https://t.co/tmvyHB5g2V">pic.twitter.com/tmvyHB5g2V</a>
&mdash; @CFL

The 28-yard scoring drive was set up by Philpot's 30-yard punt return.

Collaros, the first CFL quarterback to start four straight Grey Cups, finished 19-of-23 passing for 236 yards with an interception.

Bighill, Schoen play for Winnipeg

Linebacker Adam Bighill (right calf) and receiver Dalton Schoen (ankle) both played for Winnipeg despite neither practising this week. Bighill was injured in last week's West Division final while Schoen, the club's top receiver, hadn't played since Oct. 6.

Both saw action but each was substituted throughout the contest. Schoen had three catches for 36 yards while Bighill recorded a tackle.

Montreal, which entered the game an eight-point underdog, earned its eighth Grey Cup in 19 appearances.

Winnipeg's Sergio Castillo booted three converts and a field goal.

William Stanback and Spieker scored Montreal's other touchdowns. David Cote added four converts.

Fajardo's 23-yard TD strike to Spieker - with Bighill trying to defend - pulled Montreal to within 17-14 at 1:43 of the third. Winnipeg threatened, driving to the Als' nine-yard line before Kabion Ento intercepted Collaros in the end zone.

Fajardo to Spieker 🔥<br><br>Starting the second half with a BANG: <a href="https://twitter.com/MTLAlouettes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MTLAlouettes</a> <br><br>110th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreyCup</a> ON TSN, RDS<br>📲 STREAM ON CFL+ <a href="https://t.co/qBZnhJV03f">pic.twitter.com/qBZnhJV03f</a>
&mdash; @CFL

A stout defensive stand earned Winnipeg its 17-7 half-time advantage. Middle linebacker Shayne Gauthier, playing where Bighill would normally be, stopped Montreal quarterback Caleb Evans on third-and-one with eight seconds remaining.

That could've been a turning point in the game. Instead, it galvanized the Alouettes.

"It probably gave them a lot of momentum but it didn't kill us," Maas said. "Just go out and play another 30 minutes as hard as we can, leave it all on the line and play for each other."

Added linebacker Darnell Sankey, who joined the Alouettes in September: "We just got together and said, 'We believe. We're not going to lose. We are not going to lose.' That's exactly what we came out here and did. We brought it to them."

Prukop's one-yard run at 12:08 of the second staked Winnipeg to a 17-7 advantage. It was set up by Mike Miller's recovery of James Letcher Jr.'s punt-return fumble at Montreal's 29-yard line.

Stanback's 32-yard TD run at 14:55 of the first cut Winnipeg's lead to 10-7. The four-play, 77-yard march was an impressive answer to Oliveira's five-yard TD run at 12 minutes that capped the Bombers' eight-play, 66-yard possession that was aided by a questionable unnecessary roughness call on Montreal's Mustafa Johnson.

Castillo opened the scoring with a 25-yard field goal at 6:28 as Winnipeg had possession for 11 minutes five seconds in the quarter.

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Alouettes stun Blue Bombers with TD on final drive to win 1st Grey Cup since 2010 | CBC Sports

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Cody Fajardo's 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot with 15 seconds remaining rallied the Montreal Alouettes to a thrilling 28-24 Grey Cup victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday in Hamilton.

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Have you ever paid much attention to the music that plays in bookstores? I only did it personally once I discovered lo-fi channels on YouTube. While it isn't really the soft, usually lyricless music you'll hear in the local Barnes and Noble, that's what it reminded me of.

That got me thinking, since those places were great for students who wanted to study, what if I used that kind of music as background while writing? Thus began my introduction to the lo-fi music world. But what is lo-fi anyway, and why is it so good for focusing?

What's Lo-Fi By Definition?

By definition, lo-fi stands for "low fidelity." Fidelity is a synonym for "quality" in the music world, meaning lo-fi technically means low-quality music.

Before anyone gets offended by that, it doesn't mean the music is terrible. Lo-fi typically refers to low recording quality, including background noise, audio imperfections, and mistakes made by the performer. The stuff professional music recording normally filters out.

As a musical term, lo-fi has been around for a very long time, just as the antithesis of high fidelity (perfect quality) recording.

Today, lo-fi music doesn't just refer to a quality level or style of music, but an entire genre with a veritable family tree of genres spawning off of it. There are plenty of names for the lo-fi subgenre of electronic music but you'll mostly see it referred to as lo-fi hip-hop or chill hop.

As a quick note, lo-fi music is not the same as ASMR. ASMR is sounds and music that provoke a physical reaction or relaxation, whereas lo-fi music is tunes and songs composed by artists that may include ASMR elements. Both can help you relax, which is where some of the potential confusion comes from.

The History of Lo-Fi Music

It's hard, if not impossible, to credit the lo-fi music we know today to any one person. The modern version of the genre has roots in artists like J Dilla, MF Doom, and Madlib, but they aren't the only contributors.

We already discussed that lo-fi, as a term, has been around forever, but lo-fi as a genre is fairly new. Elements of lo-fi music have been used for a very long time for commercial and artistic reasons.

The term "lo-fi" first came up in the 1950s to refer to low-fidelity music recordings. It was mostly reserved to refer to lower-quality music, particularly homemade recordings. Lo-fi was also used for songs that were recorded outside of professional music recording studios.

By the 1960s, homemade sound distortions of the previous decade began to be used on purpose. The Beach Boys were one of the first groups to include cassette tape sounds and distortion in their releases on purpose as an artistic choice. The popularity of the group and their music led to others also including those elements in songs, birthing the lo-fi movement.

Lo-fi again rose to prominent use in the 1980s thanks to DJ William Berger. He dedicated a time slot on his radio show to legitimate homemade recordings.

Lo-fi eventually grew out of just being a lower-quality recording and turned completely into a musical aesthetic. Indie rock bands like The Frogs and Beck adopted the sounds and static of lo-fi to add additional artistic qualities to their music.

Indie, grunge, punk, and hip hop artists all used the lo-fi aesthetic to enhance their music and add a different sound to their tunes as artistic choices during this time period.

The modern version of lo-fi music, more aptly-named lo-fi hip hop, also has roots that originated in the ambient house and chill-out music that was popular in London during the 1980s.

No matter what part of lo-fi's history we look at, one of the main things it tries to remember is that music doesn't have to be perfect. Mistakes by artists, static, and imperfections are all part of the journey and aren't negatives. It doesn't take perfection or expensive equipment to produce lo-fi music well.

The 2000s saw the birth of the modern lo-fi movement and the one we're most familiar with now. Nujabes, the Japanese music producer, pioneered the genre through the anime Samurai Champloo. The series' soundtrack created the slow-rhythmed jazz and hip hop beats that are popular to this day in the genre.

Because of this connection, lo-fi is inextricably tied to the anime community, a connection many artists and channels still pay tribute to.

Around the same time, people started having much easier access to music and sound-editing software on their home computers. Lo-fi music is rooted in the DIY music scene, where you can edit sounds and tracks together to create a song. Easy access meant more people getting involved and pushing the movement forward.

Music-sharing platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud also gained popularity during this time, making it easier than ever to get your music out to other people without needing recording contracts with studios. You could upload just about anything you wanted, including mixes from early audio-editing software.

The biggest popularity surge in lo-fi's history came during the recent pandemic. From January to September 2020, Google searches for the term lo-fi rose by 85%.

Students were stuck indoors and had limited places where they could study. Most people were stuck at home, and remote work gained a lot of popularity and job openings. Because lo-fi helps you relax and focus, it became widely popular with students and remote workers as unobtrusive background noise.

I myself only became familiar with lo-fi music when I began writing during this time. I tried it out because I needed something less distracting than a TV and found myself having a harder time focusing when I listened to my normal music stations. Since it worked, I've kept at it.

As the genre became more popular, artists took it upon themselves to create their own stations on these platforms. Today, you'll find quite a few 24/7 lo-fi stations streaming on YouTube that feature huge varieties of artists.

Each of those channels will run one or two constant live streams that act like a typical ad-free radio station and only play lo-fi music of a particular style. Studying, sleeping, and work stations are all popular and have live viewer counts in the thousands at all times. Each of these channels will also have a huge library of lo-fi song playlist videos to choose from, just like music apps like Spotify and Apple Music.

Both of those major streaming platforms have jumped on the lo-fi bandwagon. You'll find many of the biggest live streams that started on YouTube also being broadcast on one or more of the major platforms, as well as extensive lo-fi libraries to search through.

What Are the Key Elements of Lo-Fi Music Today?

Lo-fi is a wide-ranging genre of music, but most songs that fall into the category will have one or all of these three main elements.

1. Repeating Drum Beats

Like hip hop and other styles of music, lo-fi music tends to rely on a looping bass beat to form the rhythm of the song. They are almost universally a downtempo type of beat, ranging from 70-90 beats per minute (BPM).

The slower tempo is a big contributing factor to the relaxation effects of the songs, but it goes further than that. Being slower makes it less disruptive to the human mind, which also helps make lo-fi great background music.

2. Retro Vibes

While streaming sites and modern music players don't create a lot of noise that alters song fidelity, older mediums used to. Cassette players hissed, vinyl records scratched, CDs whirred, and all of them added some form of background static to the music.

Lo-fi today includes those noises on tracks as an artistic choice. It's part of why most of the music has a retro vibe to it because it has the same sounds we would hear when we played music years ago.

3. Music Sampling

A big part of the origin of lo-fi was the sampling of music that came out of the hip hop genre. Recorded tracks were sampled, mixed, and looped to create something new out of those samples.

Lo-fi does a lot of the same things, though vocal samples seem to be rarer than in the old hip hop versions. Today's lo-fi artists pull samples from various mediums, from popular songs to video games and animes.

Each sample is used to support and add to a song, overlaid onto the looping bass beat to get the feeling the artist wants. One of the reasons lo-fi feels so nostalgic is because the artists are sampling and using pieces from popular old things that are recognizable even if they're altered.

4. Chord Progression

Another element used in a lot of lo-fi music is classical jazz chord progressions. These chords can be sampled and added from various instruments, including horns, pianos, guitars, bass, and drums.

Lo-fi music as a genre has a lot in common with both classical music and jazz tunes. At the core of it, lo-fi as we know it today is the modern version of those genres, creating a relaxing, slow, and unobtrusive style of music that works amazingly well for background noise.

Lo-Fi as a Genre

Lo-fi, by nature, is a bit amorphous. There isn't really a physical location where it's most popular, artists don't tour and play for crowds, and there aren't physical CDs or records for most of it. In a way, lo-fi music is one of the purest creations of the internet generation, making its own space in a digital world and being accessible anywhere, anytime.

While key elements tend to bind lo-fi tunes together, there are not many set rules for artists to abide by. That's one of the things that makes lo-fi so popular among people with different music tastes; there's some artist or style of lo-fi out there for everyone.

Most Notable Lo-Fi Artists and Where to Listen,

Nujabes

As perhaps the father of the modern lo-fi hip hop scene, it's impossible to not mention Japanese music producer Nujabes in this section. The soundtrack for Samurai Champloo may have been the beginning, but his work on Cowboy Bebop was just as influential. Both anime saw radical success, allowing the soundtracks he composed to also become wildly popular. It became a huge influence on the modern lo-fi music scene and helped him get more of his music out to consumers on a mainstream level.

Next: The best anime opening soundtracks of all time

DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow experimented with lo-fi music in the early 90s, blending hip hop with rock, jazz, and ambient music to create a signature sound called "trend-hop." While a pioneer of the scene at the time, DJ Shadow continues to contribute and collaborate with artists today, bringing the lo-fi trend-hop sound to other genres and working on his own music.

Next: The top '90s hip hop songs playlist

J Dilla

J Dilla came onto the Detroit hip-hop scene in the mid-90s and continued producing unique music through the 2000s. He was known for creating lengthy instrumental hip hop beats, with melodic loops and is credited with raising the artistic level of hip hop in the city. He added a level of complexity to his music that was normally lacking from the genre, layering in sounds and tunes.

J Dilla's music is still sampled and used in lo-fi music today, with him being one of the major contributors to the origins of the genre.

Shlohmo

Shlohmo is a major influence on the lo-fi hip hop scene, even if he is a fairly recent addition. His style of music is a blend of electronic synth and hip hop, creating a one-of-a-kind, hypnotizing version of lo-fi. Just as lo-fi has its roots in DIY music, Shlohmo began mixing music at the age of 14, eventually becoming one of the best-known creators in the genre.

Powfu

Powfu is a prime example of how far lo-fi music has come since the late 2010s. The Canadian artist saw his single 2020 Death Bed (coffee for your head) surge outside of the limited lo-fi space and up to number 23 on Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

Where To Listen

Thanks to the popularity surge of lo-fi music in general, it's not hard to find plenty of places to listen to and discover new music. Major streaming platforms have dedicated a lot of resources to the genre since the pandemic, making your normal music platform of choice a good place to start.

Some of the original places to listen to lo-fi music are still the biggest, though, with YouTube seeing millions of views and thousands of live viewers every day.

Perhaps the biggest and most popular place to listen to lo-fi music is on the Lofi Girl YouTube channel. The owner of the channel, Dmitri, is a French artist that owns both the channel and a music label that was originally known as Chilled Cow.

The channel began live-streaming lo-fi music in 2017, growing in popularity as the genre did. His use of the lo-fi girl picture on the streams became so popular Lofi Girl was adopted as the new name of both the channel and the music label.

Today you'll find a massive music catalog in the channel videos, as well as two 24/7 live streams of lo-fi music, one for studying and one for relaxing. YouTube eventually apologized for a false copyright claim that caused the live streams to end on the channel, ending the streams at a combined 21,000 hours of stream uptime and 800 million combined views.

The channel has over 11 million subscribers and nearly 30,000 live viewers at a time. A concurrent stream is also broadcast via Spotify.

Another one of the main sources of lo-fi music on the web is the Chillhop Music YouTube channel. It sits at around 4 million subscribers and, like Lofi Girl, runs 24/7 lo-fi music streams.

Both of these channels are musts if you're interested in listening to or learning about lo-fi music. The streams allow community members to interact while they listen, and both consistently find and feature new talent on their pages.

Beyond these two major sources, a simple search of lo-fi in the YouTube search bar will bring you to thousands of channels dedicated to the genre. Some are more upbeat and positive, while others bring a spookier, more mysterious sound to the table.

Individual artists also tend to have their own channels for broadcasting their music, whether on YouTube or SoundCloud. If you what something you like, it's worth noting down the artist and searching for their channels to give the rest of their playlists a listen.

As the genre continues to evolve, it will only grow in popularity and scale. While modern lo-fi was popularized during the pandemic, it has plenty of space to grow as it becomes more of a mainstream genre and less of an underground music trend enjoyed by students.

Why Is Lo-Fi So Good For Relaxing and Studying?

In the surge of popularity lo-fi found during and after the pandemic, many people realized it seemed to help them relax and focus. But what about lo-fi music makes it such a good option for these kinds of activities?

It's no secret music can enhance cognitive performance. A 1994 academic paper from the American Psychological Association Convention popularized the idea and backed it with real data, but also brought to light the fact that not all music is created equal in this regard.

It's proven that listening to Mozart and other classical composers enhances focus better than some other genres, but modern styles have grown in popularity among students, with lo-fi being the premier option.

One of the key elements of lo-fi music is its slower tempo. A study by Montreal's McGill University found that music listeners received a dopamine boost of up to 9% while listening to music. The benefit of that boost is that it relieves stress, making it easier to both relax and focus.

Study sessions for students normally come with quite a lot of anxiety, especially if the session happens to be on the eve of a big test. Stress and anxiety cause increased release of cortisol in the body, the main hormone responsible for stress. It's also the main hormone that makes it hard to focus when you're stressed out, instead drowning in anxiety.

Lo-fi's calming effect and stress relief relieve the effects of those hormones, making it easier to retain information and reduce anxiety.

Listening to lo-fi music also helps drown out other distracting noises. It's hard to relax or focus with jarring and inconsistent background noises like loud roommates or working in a crowded area. This isn't unique to lo-fi music, but unlike most genres of music, lo-fi is uniquely suited to the job.

Lo-fi typically doesn't have any jarring music notes. It also leaves out fast-paced and abrasive tunes, instead opting for slower, more relaxing melodies that blend together even when going through progressions. In essence, lo-fi is perfect for relaxing and studying because it can drown out distractions without becoming a distraction itself.

While I can't find peer-reviewed studies that focus on the benefits of lo-fi music in terms of studying and relaxing, it isn't a tough connection to make. Lo-fi music has most of the same qualities that other genres that are proven to help do have.

Classical and jazz music have evidence of enhancing cognitive functions, and lo-fi benefits from many of the same qualities. While music doesn't benefit everyone the same way because people have different music tastes, lo-fi is a wide-branching genre that most people can find a beneficial playlist in.

For pure relaxation, it can be hard to find a better option than lo-fi music. The beats are calming and slow. In some people, this stimulates neurons and helps them find motivation and focus. In others, it makes you want to close your eyes and bob your head.

There are plenty of lo-fi music stations with all kinds of playlists. Study stations have slightly faster beats that do a better job of brain stimulation, while sleep stations are mostly made of music to help you relax.
Read Next: Ska music breakdown - what is it? House music breakdown - what is it?

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What is Lo-Fi Music? Full Explanation With Benefits - Music Grotto

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In this article, learn to appreciate the intentional imperfections of Lo-Fi music, along with its true meaning and history.

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Key points

More kids have had their hearing damaged by noise. Headphone use is a major cause.

Parent should talk to children about what hearing loss feels like, the sensation of tinnitus, and how hearing can disappear without warning.

Kids should aim to play headphones at no more 50 percent of full volume; 100 percent is 110 decibels, the same as a siren.

Loud sounds are bad for us, and piping them directly into your ears makes it worse.

You may have read warnings about the dangers of headphones but not taken them too seriously. However, a large study published in June makes a strong case: When researchers compared hearing exams for thousands of adults in Norway at two points, 20 years apart, they confirmed that those who reported using personal music devices at high volume had worse hearing.

Today's children are especially in danger, retired audiologist Jan Mayes told me. If small children use headphones, by their teens to early twenties they might have trouble understanding speech in noisy places. By the time these children are in their mid-40s, they might be as hard of hearing as their grandparents are today, in their 70s and 80s, added Daniel Fink, an internist and board chair of The Quiet Coalition.

Damaged hearing is already a problem. More than 1 out of 10 kids in the US (ages 6 to 19)-and nearly 1 out of 5 adults under 70-has suffered permanent damage to their hearing from noise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

One effect of children's use of headphones and earbuds is more kids with tinnitus. Tinnitus-typically ringing in the ears-is an early symptom. There's been a "mad influx" of kids reporting the problem in the last year, said audiologist Lisa Vaughan of Cook Children's Health Care System in Fort Worth about what her clinic has been seeing.

Your kids need your guidance: It can be hard to know how loud is too loud when listening via headphones. On an ordinary music device, you might hear sounds as high as 94-110 dBA. Less than two minutes at 110 dBA can damage anyone's ears, Mayes told me.

Listening to these blasts-or at more reasonable volumes but for too long-leaves its mark. It can damage the hair cells in the ears that transmit sound to the brain. It can also interrupt the connection between those cells and nerve cells, and the auditory nerve may degenerate.

What You Can Do

Depending on your child's age, explain the problem: Even a volume they enjoy can damage their ears. It doesn't have to "hurt" to be bad for them. Also, hearing loss can come suddenly. They might not have any warning.

Have a talk about what damaged hearing actually feels like. Explain that they might hear weird buzzing or ringing or other noises (tinnitus) when they're trying to concentrate on something else-even the music they love. Tinnitus is also often accompanied by a feeling of pressure or fullness. Children sometimes think other people can hear the ringing in their ears, so make sure they understand the concept.

They might become sensitive to noise and have spells when everything is too loud (hyperacusis), and the clatter of dishes in another room gives them pain.

If they develop hearing loss, that doesn't just mean some sounds are softer. Explain that it can be hard to understand what people are saying to you with hearing loss, and you can feel left out in groups. You might even get laughed at. Although hearing aids help enormously, they don't give you back precisely the hearing you had before, and they don't usually entirely banish hyperacusis or tinnitus.

The bottom line: Listening to loud music might feel cool, but hearing loss is a high price to pay.

Volume limits help, but kids often know workarounds

If your child is resistant, set up a time when they can talk to someone with damaged hearing. Maybe your son is an aspiring pop music star. His guitar teacher can explain that many musicians live with tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Set volume limits together. You want a tween or teen to be on your side. Although a parent can set a max on the volume on both Android and iPhones, a tech-savvy child can get around them and also easily find apps online that help increases the volume even further.

"Even when young, kids know how to deactivate any safe listening settings their parents might set. I sat with my kids while they set [a safe max] on their device. We talked about how obviously they could switch them off and listen unsafely if they wanted to. It was another opportunity for us to talk about protecting their hearing health," Mayes said.

Aim for 50 Percent of Full Volume

Some headphones and earbuds advertise that they limit volume-but they don't always deliver on that promise. Also, the industry-standard maximum volume, 85 dBA (equal to a lawnmower or leaf blower), isn't a safe bet. That number comes from regulations to protect adults on the job, factories or airports, and the like. If you don't want your child to run the risk of hearing loss, 70 dBA would be more reasonable, a 2018 WHO report and 2019 paper argued. That's typically about 50 percent volume on your device.

To help your child understand these numbers, here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds:

Normal conversation: 50-60 dBA and 60-70 dBA with background noise or shouting.

Movie theater:74-104 dBA.

Motorcycles and dirt bikes:80-110 dBA.

Music through headphones at maximum volume, sporting events, and concerts: 94-110 dBA.

Sirens: 110-129 dBA.

Fireworks show: 140-160 dBA.

Fink said that people who use a personal audio system for more than an hour a day at more than 50 percent volume for more than five years are risking their ears. Other risks like tinnitus, hyperacusis, or trouble in noisy situations can happen sooner.

"The goal is to listen well below 70 dBA to give a margin of safety, especially for children's ears. This means listening as low as comfortable below 50 percent volume setting," Mayes said.

Here are other expert tips for preserving kids' hearing:

It's not easy to go against the tide. Your child might say, "But all the other kids play music loud on their headphones!" That's a moment to explain that being different sometimes means you're doing the right thing.
A version of this piece appears at Healthy Hearing.

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What Children Need to Know About Headphone Use and Hearing

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Playing music loudly is damaging kids' hearing.

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The gold medal game at the World Juniors is always held on Jan. 5. It's the same day Shane Wright was born.

Mark Masters

Week 17 wraps up with the final Monday Night Football game of the season tonight on TSN and all indications are that it will also mark the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

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The gold medal game at the World Juniors is always held on Jan. 5. It's the same day Shane Wright was born. Mark Masters Week 17 wraps up with the final Monday Night Football game of the season tonight on TSN and all indications are that it will also mark the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

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He said the two king penguins adopted the egg, which had been abandoned by the sole female of the species at the zoo, and are "behaving like model parents, taking turns to keep the egg warm" by nestling it on their feet under a flap of belly skin.

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Two male penguins at Berlin Zoo have been caring for an egg since July in the hope of becoming parents.

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For a very long time, scientists have known that animals engage in sexual behavior with individuals of the same sex. Such same-sex sexual behavior (SSB)* can include, for example, mounting, courting through songs and other signals, genital licking or releasing sperm, and has been observed in over 1,500 animal species, from primates to sea stars, bats to damselflies, snakes to nematode worms.

In recent decades, numerous hypotheses have been proposed and tested to understand why animals engage in these sexual behaviors that do not directly lead to reproduction. In a theoretical perspective published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, we reflect on the hypotheses proposed by biologists to explain SSB, and on the widespread but unquestioned assumptions that underlie them.

Common to all the hypotheses proposed to explain SSB is the characterization of SSB as an "evolutionary paradox" because it persists without obviously contributing to an animal's survival or reproductive success (what biologists call "fitness"). As a "paradox," SSB is assumed by biologists to be so obviously costly that it must either yield tremendous benefits or be otherwise impervious to elimination by natural selection.

Moreover, most scientists who study SSB tend to focus exclusively on its presence in a single species of interest, leading to the unacknowledged assumption that SSB evolved independently in each of the animal species in which it is observed. But are these assumptions well-founded? We argue that they are not, and that they are perhaps rooted more in cultural norms than in scientific rigor.

First, the costs of SSB are often assumed to be high because engaging in SSB leads individuals to waste time, energy and resources without obvious gains in fitness. The costliness of SSB is often emphasized in comparison to the benefits of having sex with an individual of a different sex (different-sex sexual behavior or DSB). While DSB can certainly lead more obviously to higher fitness through the production of offspring, these comparisons assume that DSB is highly efficient.

However, animals often mate many times to produce just a few offspring, and acts of DSB frequently do not result in reproduction for a whole host of reasons. In other words, DSB can be costly too, and it is rarely clear whether mating with an individual of the same sex is comparatively costlier than any other reason why sexual behavior may not lead to reproduction.

Second, for other traits that are as widespread across so many species as SSB, biologists often consider the evolutionary possibility that the trait evolved just once or a few times in the species' common ancestor, rather than many independent times. As far as we can tell, no such evolutionary scenario has been considered for SSB. Finally, both of these assumptions underlying previous research on SSB are reinforced by a heteronormative worldview under which SSB is seen as aberrant, perhaps explaining where these assumptions came from and why they were so rarely questioned.

In our paper, we argue for a subtle shift in perspective that offers new ways of understanding the diverse and endlessly fascinating world of animal sex, including SSB. We explicitly move away from viewing SSB as aberrant or as mutually exclusive from DSB, instead acknowledging that individuals and populations of animals can engage in a spectrum of sexual behaviors that include both DSB and SSB in a vast array of combinations.

This perspective leads us to propose the following alternative scenario: what if SSB has been around since animals began to engage in sexual behavior of any kind? In our hypothesis, the ancestral animal species mated indiscriminately with regard to sex, i.e., they mated with individuals of all sexes, if only because it is unlikely that the other traits required to recognize a compatible mate-differences in size, shape, color or odor, for example-evolved at exactly the same time as sexual behaviors.

Indeed, indiscriminate mating can be more beneficial than it is costly. Mate recognition can require physiologically and cognitively costly adaptations, and being excessively discriminating in choosing mates can lead individuals to miss out on mating opportunities that lead to reproduction, a significant fitness cost.

And so, we hypothesize that present-day diversity in sexual behavior in animals stems from an ancestral background of indiscriminate mating among individuals of all sexes. In some branches of the animal tree of life, where SSB is actually quite costly, this behavior might be selected against.

But in other taxa where SSB isn't relatively costly, it may have persisted and even been co-opted to serve other beneficial functions. Scientists currently lack comprehensive knowledge of how common SSB is across species, largely because these behaviors have historically been regarded as unseemly or irrelevant and have only been recorded incidentally. We predict that the systematic documentation of SSB across animal taxa, and the quantification of the costs and benefits of both SSB and DSB, would reveal that it is both more common and less costly than is currently widely assumed.

In presenting our hypothesis of the ancestral origins for SSB in animals, we suggest nothing about conceptualizing human sexual behavior. It should never be the place of science to make normative arguments about people. Indeed, we suggest that human culture has likely had far more impact on the study of biology than vice versa. Instead, we hope our hypothesis will expand understanding of the diversity of the natural world. We encourage scientists to consider what discoveries in evolutionary biology are possible when we break free from the cultural norms and assumptions that have historically constrained scientific creativity.

In this regard, scientists have much to learn from other disciplines, such as science and technology studies (STS), that apply critical lenses to the processes of science. Interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars in such fields has the potential to make science more robust by teaching scientists to account for the inevitable role society and culture play in all forms of research.

The questions we ask shape our understanding of the world, but these questions are also shaped by our understanding of the world. Who we are influences the hypotheses we craft and the assumptions we make. Thus, scientists should be thoughtful about the critical lenses, biases and assumptions we bring to the process of asking questions, designing experiments and interpreting results. Widening the range of perspectives and cultures that have a voice in academic science is critical to the improvement of scientific practice and knowledge-building. Who knows what hypotheses new voices will bring to science in the future?
*Note: We intentionally do not use terms such as "heterosexual" or "homosexual" to prevent any conflation between human sexuality and nonhuman animal sexual behaviors. Moreover, the terms same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) and different-sex sexual behavior (DSB) more accurately describe the observation of individual sexual interactions, without making assumptions as to how those same individuals may behave in other encounters.

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Why Is Same-Sex Sexual Behavior So Common in Animals?

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It’s long been considered an evolutionary puzzle, but new research suggests this may be the wrong way to think about it

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Dumb Ways to Die is an Australian public campaign made by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Victoria to promote railway safety. The campaign video went viral on social media after it was released in November 2012. The campaign's animation was developed into an app available to iOS devices.

On 1 October 2021, PlaySide Studios acquired the Dumb Ways to Die franchise for A$2.25 million from Metro. Playside Studios also released an NFT called BEANS on 3 February 2022.

The campaign was devised by advertising agency McCann Melbourne. It appeared in newspapers, local radio and outdoor advertising throughout the Metro Trains network and on Tumblr. John Mescall, executive creative director of McCann, said "The aim of this campaign is to engage an audience that really doesn't want to hear any kind of safety message, and we think dumb ways to die will." McCann estimated that within two weeks, it had generated at least $ 50 million worth of global media value in addition to more than 700 media stories, for "a fraction of the cost of one TV ad". According to Metro Trains, the campaign contributed to a 20 per cent reduction in "near-miss" accidents compared to the annual average, or 30% with respect to the same time of the year before from 13.29 near-misses per million kilometres in November 2011 - January 2012, to 9.17 near-misses per million kilometres in November 2012 - January 2013.

The video was art directed by Patrick Baron, animated by Julian Frost and produced by Cinnamon Darvall. It was uploaded to YouTube on 14 November 2012 and made public two days later. It featured characters known as "beans", each bearing names such as "Numpty," "Hapless," "Pillock," and "Dippy" (the first four beans in the video, listed in order of appearance) dying as a result of their own stupidity (doing such unwise things as setting their own hair on fire or provoking a grizzly bear); the final three beans shown in the video, named "Stumble", "Bonehead", and "Putz", all die as a result of unsafe behavior at train stations and/or railways, which are deemed "the dumbest ways to die".

The animated video has two versions, one in English, and one in Spanish, titled "Formas Tontas de Morir."

The song "Dumb Ways to Die" from the video was written by John Mescall and co created with Patrick Baron, music by Ollie McGill from the Cat Empire, who also produced it. It was performed by Emily Lubitz, the lead vocalist of Tinpan Orange, with McGill providing backing vocals. The band on the recording consists of Gavin Pearce on Bass, Danny Farrugia on drums and Brett Wood on guitar. It was released on iTunes, attributed to the artist "Tangerine Kitty" (a reference to Tinpan Orange and The Cat Empire). The song, with a tempo of 128 beats per minute, is written in C major and a time signature of 4/4.

On 6 May 2013, Metro released a Dumb Ways to Die game as an app for iOS devices. The game, developed by Julian Frost, Patrick Baron and Samuel Baird, invites players to avoid the dangerous activities engaged in by the various characters featured throughout the campaign. Within the app, players can also pledge to "not do dumb stuff around trains." The activities include things like getting toast out with a fork and poking a stick at a grizzly bear. An Android version was released in September 2014.

The current highscore for the game is currently held by Tiktok live streamer King "imkingb" Boss at 52,134 points.

The game is similar to games in the series. The game presents minigames based on the animated music video in rapid succession and becomes faster and more difficult the longer the game is played.

A sequel titled Dumb Ways to Die 2: The Games was released on 18 November 2014. In the sequel, there are a lot more varieties of challenges in each particular building, and each building has a particular theme. Before a train arrives at a building, the player plays a challenge to counter something related to trains. If successful, bonus points can be earned at the end of the game. There are 8 challenges each in every building. Like the original game, the game's characters do plenty of dangerous and unsafe activities. Lives can be lost by "dying" in one of the activities. The player has three chances to prevent the characters from dying.

The game is recently also available as a web and mobile-web version by MarketJS, license holder of the HTML5 web IP.

A second sequel titled Dumb Ways to Die 3: World Tour was released on 21 December 2017. Unlike the previous games which both involved the player playing minigames and trying to prevent the characters from dying, here the player collects coins from houses that are fixed up from being initially broken. The houses are fixed by the player playing a new minigame for each area containing those houses.

A third sequel titled Dumb Ways to Die 4 was released on Android and iOS on May 2, 2023.

A spinoff was also released, titled Dumb Ways to Draw on 5 May 2019. In the game, the player has to draw lines with in-game pens to guide the characters to their goals. But they also have to prevent the characters' deaths by dangers. It also had a colouring section to colour and share drawings as well as a "trace the picture" section, in which the player is required to hold the screen until a line of sufficient length is drawn to trace the given diagram. The sequel titled Dumb Ways to Draw 2 will be released in 2023.

Another spinoff, titled Dumb Ways to Dash was released on 13 December 2019. The player has to guide their character in a 3D race against other characters to the finish line while avoiding the obstacles.

A third spinoff, titled Dumb Ways to Die: Superheroes was released on 25 June 2020. It has similar gameplay to the previous spinoff.

The Metro Trains has also published a number of other videos on its YouTube channel, "Dumb Ways to Die", including the trailers of the second game, a video centered on the MIFF, a series of Christmas-themed short videos, Halloween-themed videos, and some other videos centered on Train Safety. They have recently been uploading shorts of ingame characters dying in real life.

Susie O'Brien in the in Melbourne criticised the ad for trivialising serious injuries and being about advertisers' ego rather than effective safety messages.

Simon Crerar of the Herald Sun wrote that the song's "catchy chorus was the most arresting hook since PSY's Gangnam Style." Alice Clarke writing in the Herald Sun described the video as "adorably morbid" and wrote that Victoria's public transport "broke its long running streak of terrible ads".

Daisy Dumas of the Sydney Morning Herald described it as "darkly cute-and irksomely catchy" and the chorus as "instant earworm material".

Michelle Starr of CNET described the campaign as the Darwin Awards meets The Gashlycrumb Tinies and the song as "a cutesy indie-pop hit in the style of Feist".

Logan Booker of Gizmodo described it as "taking a page out of the Happy Tree Friends book and mixing cute with horrifying".

Karen Stocks of YouTube Australia said the video was unusual due to the high number of views from mobile devices. Stocks attributed the success to "A snappy headline. A catchy tune that gets stuck in your head. And a message that is easy to understand and perfectly targeted."

The Sunshine Coast Daily described it as "the Gangnam Style of train safety campaigns".

Arlene Paredes of the International Business Times said the video was "brilliant in getting viewers' attention" and "arguably one of the cutest PSAs ever made."

The campaign received some criticism on the basis that suicide is one of the most influential causes of rail trauma, and the ad reinforces deadly trains as a possible suicide method. Writing in Mumbrella in February 2013, a former employee of Victoria's Department of Infrastructure advised critical thinking when evaluating claims made regarding improvements to safety. Reference was made specifically to the claimed 20 per cent reduction in risky behaviour as being " social media bullshit".

In February 2013, Artemy Lebedev's blog was censored by Roskomnadzor, the Russian government agency in charge of Internet censorship, for including the video. Later that day, the YouTube video was also censored, with the "This content is not available in your country due to a legal complaint from the government" message. The official takedown notice sent to Livejournal.com was quoted, in part, by Lebedev in his blog.

The song's lyrics contains a description of different ways of committing suicide, such as: using drugs beyond their expiration date, standing on an edge of a platform, running across the rails, eating superglue and other. The animated personages demonstrate dangerous ways of suicide in attractive for children and teenagers comic format. The lines such as "Use a clothes dryer as a hiding place" and "I wonder what's this red button do?" contain an incitement to commit those acts.

Despite this, the video was still included into the ABC Show and was shown in more than 50 cities across Russia.

The campaign won seven Webby Awards in 2013 including the Best Animation Film & Video and Best Public Service & Activism (Social Content & Marketing).

It won three Siren Awards, run by Commercial Radio Australia, including the Gold Siren for best advertisement of the year and Silver Sirens for the best song and best campaign.

The public service announcement was awarded the Grand Trophy in the 2013 New York Festivals International Advertising Awards.

In June 2013, the campaign clip won the Integrated Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and overall, won five Grand Prix awards, 18 Gold Lions, three Silver Lions, and two Bronze Lions, which was the most for the campaign in the festival's history.

Within two weeks, the video had spawned over 85 parodies. Some renditions and parodies have been featured in national and international media:

"Cool Things to Find" - featuring the Curiosity Mars rover. Cinesaurus noted that it took them six days and 250 man hours to create.

"Dumb Ways to Die (In Video Games) Parody" by YouTube channel MegaSteakMan.

"Dumb Ways to Die (Minecraft Edition)"

Dumb Ways to Die - Game of Thrones Edition

"Annoying Ways to Die" from Annoying Orange, as noted by Socialtimes

"The Walking Dead + Dumb Ways to Die Parody" - live-action parody of characters from The Walking Dead

"Smart Ways to Live" by The Maccabeats - a cappella version as noted by Arutz Sheva.

"Queremos Vivir en Caracas" (english: We Want to Live in Caracas) by Jointool Studios - An Venezuelan parody of Dumb Ways to Die.

"Squid Game - A Dumb Ways to Die Parody" - by Ploy Boal won the Video of the Day Award on 19 April 2022 from Motion Design Awards.

"Dumb Ways To Fail" - several versions on YouTube by different channels

"Dumb Ways to Blind" - on YouTube, about the dangers of powerful laser pointers

''Dumb Ways To Die on Horrible Histories a song using deaths for stupid deaths on the Horrible Histories

Due to their success, the Dumb Ways to Die characters have been featured in a promotional campaign for Empire Life Insurance, with their key message being, "the dumbest way to die is without life insurance." However, the campaign was met with mixed reviews, with some advertising critics accusing Metro of "selling out" on a successful campaign.

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Dumb Ways to Die is an Australian public campaign made by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Victoria to promote railway safety. The campaign video went viral on social media after it was released in November 2012. The campaign's animation was developed into an app available to iOS devices.

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CBC North is doing a series on the history and significance of Inuit names. Traditional names hold great respect and honour. There are long-held Inuit beliefs that people take on the characteristics of their namesake, and that spirits live on through them. Many Inuit have close connections with the person who named them, as well as people who have the same name.
In Inuit culture, a name carries weight.

Inuit hold strong beliefs around how children are named and take great care in choosing a name for an infant. Traditionally, elders or parents named children, often after blood relatives, revered leaders or hunters, or exceptional people.

Naming a child is a serious undertaking because "we must show absolute respect to the child and the person's name," said Millie Kuliktana, who was a consultant on the Nunavut school curriculum in the 1990s.

Traditional names can carry great responsibility, with the belief that children can share physical and personality traits with their namesakes.

"There are some things where a symbol shows up or an action, or sometimes a child would just say a phrase that takes the family by surprise," Kuliktana said.

"It would be the namesake coming out in that child."

Kuliktana says there is often an expectation on a child to take on strong qualities, like a great hunter. She says families and elders help develop those characteristics in the child.

"On the negative side, an individual can feel that they are not living up to their name," she said.

"But then they're also reminded that we have to strive for what we can, and we can give it our best."

Spirit is passed on to a child

Naming is an "important institution," according to Inuuqatigiit, The Curriculum from the Inuit Perspective - a 1996 document that was created as "an educational link between the past and the present."

One of the beliefs in the wide-ranging curriculum is that "a person never really dies, their spirit is passed on to a child."

"That is so much practised today," said Kuliktana, who consulted on the curriculum for the Kitikmeot School Board. "It really helps the family heal in their grieving for the lost one."

In some cases, a parent or elder will have a dream about someone who has died, which is a sign of what to name the child.

In Kuliktana's community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, it's believed that when a person dies, their spirit should have time to rest and cross over, and their name should also be given time "to rest before being reborn in someone else."

"So don't name the children after someone right away. You allow that person's spirit to pass for about a year before you use that name again," she said.

Kuliktana says children often have close connections with their namesakes, the person who named them, and with others who share that name.

Her daughter Adjiukak, for example, was named after "the most generous lady that lived" in Kugluktuk. She shares her name with 20 others, and Kuliktana says she has a "unique friendship" with them.

"It's such a beautiful thing with Inuit names," she said.

Naming landmarks can be disrespectful

Saa Pitsiulak, an Inuktitut language program officer with Nunavut's Department of Culture and Heritage, said waiting for a name to rest is a widely held belief among elders in the Kivalliq region, as well.

Pitsiulak says her department makes annual trips to the communities to interview elders about Inuit customs. She says they ask questions about naming infants - who should do it, when it should happen, who should be consulted.

"Elders in the Kivalliq region made a pretty strong statement that they really respected their elders and their parents. So they waited for their parents to name their children," she said.

"It was not the parents' responsibility" to name their children.

Pitsiulak says they're seeing more and more people giving their children non-Inuit names today.

In all of the regions, she said, elders "are very strong about keeping traditions alive" and say children should know their ancestors.

Elders in the Kivalliq have also spoken about community landmarks being named after people without consultation, she said.

"They felt it was being disrespectful to name such buildings or roads after people."

Wrong name can have consequences

It's said that a birthmark can appear on a child that is the same as their namesake's - or that infants can become sickly if given the wrong name.

Kuliktana said she saw a sad example of that in the descendents of a woman named Qimniq. Qimniq was a woman, but both girls and boys were given her name, as is common with Inuit names.

But Kuliktana says a high percentage of her male descendents passed on young.

"That made a flag for the family members that maybe Qimniq just wants to be a female," she said. "Maybe that name will only be given to women."

Inuit names don't always have meaning, though Kuliktana says some Inuit are given nicknames based on their personalities.

Her father, for example, was named Pigalak, but his nickname was Aqpaaq "the one who ran ahead."

Keeping traditions alive

Nunavut's Department of Education said the K-12 Inuuqatigiit curriculum is still used in the territory's schools today.

"It is a valuable resource for educators that is referred to often," a spokesperson said in an email. The naming module is part of the Grade 10 Inuktitut program.

The Culture and Heritage department also sends resources, based on research and interviews, to Nunavummiut, schools, daycares and radio stations about Inuit customs and traditions, Pitsiulak said.

Kuliktana says she would like to see more parents sharing the importance of naming with their children. She says those conversations are lacking nowadays.

"We don't give names to people for the sake of naming them. We give them a name that we totally respect," she said.

"And you want that individual's spirit and being to continue to live with you in your society."

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How Inuit honour the tradition of naming, and spirits who have passed on | CBC News

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Many Inuit believe spirits are passed on through names, and that children can take on the personality and physical traits of their namesakes. Naming is a significant tradition, that holds great honour and respect.

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A website with lots of stories by Edgar Allan Poe, a master of suspense stories and also the creator of the detective story genre.

Advanced reading level

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by Robert Giordano

This site contains short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allen Poe is a common misspelling), story summaries, quotes, and linked vocabulary words and definitions for educational reading. It also includes a short biography, a timeline of Poe's life, and links to other Poe sites.

Most people recognize Poe by his famous poem,"The Raven". Others may have read one of his more popular dark and creepy tales like,"The Fall of the House of Usher" or "The Tell-tale Heart". Poe wrote quite a few gothic stories about murder, revenge, torture, the plague, being buried alive, and insanity. Many modern books and movies have "borrowed" ideas from Poe. Some of Poe's stories were not well accepted in his day because people were just not ready for them- they were too scary.

Many people don't know that Edgar Allan Poe also wrote stories about adventure on the high seas, buried pirate treasure, and a famous balloon ride. Poe invented the detective story with tales like"Murders in the Rue Morgue" and"The Purloined Letter". Sherlock Holmes and other fictional detectives would later be based on the characters that Poe created. Poe wrote love stories and even a few strange little comedies. He attempted to explain the composition of the universe in a way that sounds a little like quantum physics. Explore this site and you'll see why I think Edgar Allan Poe deserves to be recognized as one of the most original, imaginative, and ingenious authors of our society.

Summaries

Poe wrote many stories on many different topics. If you don't know where to start, you can browse short summaries of Edgar Allan Poe stories, so you can find something that interests you. Don't worry, I don't give away the endings!!

Wordlist

This site makes it easy for you read Poe's stories. Poe knew several languages and had quite a large vocabulary. Poe's works are not hard to read but sometimes he uses obscure words or references that the average user may not know. Because of this, I've created an ever growing wordlist containing many of these words and their definitions. When a word in the wordlist appears in any story, it becomes hyperlinked to its definition.

Gallery

In the Gallery, you'll find a large collection of Edgar Allan Poe portraits and daguerreotypes. Learn the details behind each of Poe's commonly recognized portraits.

In the Poe Artwork section, browse a constantly updated selection of art from current artists who were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, his poetry, and prose. Artists who have created paintings, drawings, or illustrations based on Poe or his works, are invited to contact me about featuring your work on this site.

The Gallery also features photography from various trips to Edgar Allan Poe historic sites, like the ones in Richmond and Baltimore.

About this Site

Poestories.com was originally built by Robert Giordano in 2005 using 100% standards compliant HTML and CSS, written from scratch. In 2019, Robert updated all of the code to an HTML5 "Responsive" layout for phones and mobile devices. This site should work equally well in old browsers from 10 years ago, all the way up to the latest Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge browsers. The site even works in Internet Explorer but why would you do that? Finally it means this site is fully functional with all styles turned off and is accessible to people with disabilities.

Enjoy your visit and don't forget to sign the guestbook.

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Edgar Allan Poe, short stories, tales, and poems

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by Robert Giordano This site contains short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allen Poe is a common misspelling), story summaries, quotes, and linked vocabulary words and definitions for educational reading. It also includes a short biography, a timeline of Poe's life, and links to other Poe sites.

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Welcome Reader! We have huge collection of short stories by many famous writers across the world. Few handpicked stories from various categories are listed below for quick reference. We also provided link to editor's pick stories in each category. Additionally under Kids and Children category we have good moral lesson and bedtime stories for our little readers.

We hope that you have pleasant time at our club. Your comments matter to our writers. Please do provide your invaluable feedback.

Inspiration Stories with Moral Lessons

These inspirational stories provide meaningful takeaway lessons. Few examples are story of a girl who seeks pleasure by making others look beautiful, a woman looking for perfect body learnt a lesson from an underprivileged kid, short story to get inspiration from a dog, a touching story highlighting human nature of doubting everyone even a needy, overcome fear after an accident, and other such inspirational stories.

Read all from Inspiration Stories

Love and Romance

This collection includes romantic love stories from real life, heartfelt first love experiences, and tragic end of sad love. Read selfless love of a wife that finally wins after twelve years, heart touching love story of a dying girl who never let her lover know about her fatal disease, love story of a guy who could not express his feeling to the girl he loved, romantic love story of honeymoon, story of a lover who became crazy and decided to live with sweet remembrance of his past, and other love stories

Read all from Love and Romance

Family Stories

This collection includes stories of families, relationships and family matters. Read memory of grandfather, relation between daughter and mother, feeling of being a mother and many more such heart touching stories.

Read all from Family Stories

Suspense and Thriller

Read suspense, thriller, psychological thriller, murder mystery, & crime investigations stories. In this collection you will find story of a person whose dreams started becoming true and finally he saw that he would be murdered by his dream girl, a rapidly growing cat, mystery of multiple murders at an isolated road, a kid who became friend of someone mystical, a plane crash survivor who finally lost his hope after an creepy experience, and many more such stories to bring goose bumps.

Read all from Suspense and Thriller

Kids and Children (Bedtime)

Kids and children collection includes stories for kids with moral lesson, fairy tales, fables, & many other childhood memories. The stories are illustrated with picture to stimulate imagination of our little readers. Read and enjoy story of an honest monkey, moral lesson for kids from story of a painting, funny detective story of three kids planning something big, greedy fox story and many more from our this category.

Read all from Kids Bedtime Stories

Friends and Friendships

A friend in need is a friend indeed. This collection provides stories of best friends and their friendships. Friendship is a relationship that we choose and therefore friends are the special ones. Read stories of true friendships, best friends, school friends and many more from this category.

Read all from Friends and Friendships

Funny Short Stories

Funny short stories with lots of fun and humor along with few black comedies and real life funny incidents. Read funny fiction when in a one-sided-love he wished to kiss his dream girl, funny true life incident of a middle class family catching train in midnight, a hilarious fiction when a man's wish was granted to become God, funny experience of a doctor in a rural hospital, hilarious incident of neighbors try to get a sneak peek from someone's family matter, and many other such tickling stories to bring smile at your face.

Read all from Funny Short Stories

Science Fiction

The collection of sci-fi includes several interesting science fictions. Enjoy story of aliens attacking earth, what happened when a race landed on a planet after several hundred years of exile from galaxy, going in the past to know the murderer, science fiction for kids in which a robo-girl returning to earth after many years, story of doomsday, and many other such awesome fictions.

Read all from Science Fiction

Paranormal and Unusual Experiences

Read Story of Witches, Ghosts and Zombies from our online collection of scary and creepy stories with unusual paranormal experiences. Story of a man who took short cut through a haunted dark tunnel to find dead people, horror adventure of Ouija board, creepy experience of a family who moved in an isolated house and found family of ghosts, mystery of serial killings in a graveyard, a man who came to dig out diamond from grave, and many such paranormal unusual experiences.

Read all from Paranormal Stories

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Welcome Reader! We have huge collection of short stories by many famous writers across the world. Few handpicked stories from various categories are listed below for quick reference. We also provided link to editor's pick stories in each category. Additionally under Kids and Children category we have good moral lesson and bedtime stories for our little readers.

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Ask your teacher for the code.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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If you have an author's name, but can't remember the title of the particular story you are looking for, click on the above button to navigate to a page where you will be confronted by a list of the authors whose works appear here. And, of course, the authors will be listed in last name, first name order.

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If you have an author's name, but can't remember the title of the particular story you are looking for, click on the above button to navigate to a page where you will be confronted by a list of the authors whose works appear here.

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Forum . Penfriends . Test . Online English Lessons . Newsletter . Ask Teacher . Search

CLASSIC SHORT STORIES

One of the best ways of improving your English is to read the language. This part of our site includes complete short stories by some of the very best classic writers. All stories are complete and unabridged. Read them online or print them off and read them in bed! One new story is added to our site every month. All stories are in the public domain and now copyright free. If you're looking for a larger range of free classic English literature online, try the English Library. Or if modern short stories are your thing try here.

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Forum . Penfriends . Test . Online English Lessons . Newsletter . Ask Teacher . Search CLASSIC SHORT STORIES One of the best ways of improving your English is to read the language. This part of our site includes complete short stories by some of the very best classic writers.

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Expand Your Horizons, Read a Book Today!

We have hundreds of classic books you can read right now, all absolutely free! It is an ideal way to expand your horizons, catch up on your reading list, or read books that it seems like everyone else has already read. Fix yourself a drink, get comfortable and Start Reading!

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Page By Page Books. Read Classic Books Online, Free.

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Expand Your Horizons, Read a Book Today! We have hundreds of classic books you can read right now, all absolutely free! It is an ideal way to expand your horizons, catch up on your reading list, or read books that it seems like everyone else has already read.